1. Introduction

From 1 July 2026, the SMS Sender ID Register will stop scammers using sender IDs in text messages to impersonate brands and organisations. 

A sender ID is the name at the top of text messages from businesses or organisations. It tells you who the message is from, like ‘ATO’, ‘AusPost’ or ‘myGov’. 

Businesses or organisations that use sender IDs will only be able to send text messages with a sender ID if it is registered. 

If you use sender IDs, you need to contact your SMS providers (telcos), including message providers that send SMS/MMS messages for you) to register your sender IDs before 1 July 2026 to avoid disruption. 

Any unregistered sender IDs sent from 1 July 2026 will be replaced with the word ‘Unverified’. 

SMS/MMS messages with unregistered sender IDs will be grouped together in a single ‘Unverified’ message thread on mobile phones, indicating they may be scams.

Contact your SMS providers as early as possible to register your sender ID, to avoid your messages being disrupted, or your registration application being caught in any last-minute rush.

Refer to the ACMA website for more information.

Purpose

You can apply to participate in the register and register sender IDs if you are an entity or an entity associate.

This guide provides instructions about how entities who have an Australian Business Number (ABN) can access the SMS Sender ID Register, and use the register to:

• confirm applications submitted by your SMS providers to register sender IDs
• authorise other people who represent your organisation to access the register
• revoke sender IDs for your organisation
• update your contact details.  

If you do not have an ABN, please follow instructions to register a sender ID if you don’t have an ABN. 

Overview of application process

• Contact your SMS providers (telcos) to apply to register your sender IDs.
• After the provider has submitted the application, access the register (using this guide) to confirm the application. The application will not be processed if you do not confirm.
• The ACMA will notify you whether the application has been approved and if it is, when your sender ID will be registered.
• You must contact each provider that you want to send messages with, to authorise them to send messages for you using your registered sender ID after 1 July 2026. The authorisation process is very similar to the application process. 

ABN (Australian Business Number) 

Has the meaning given by section 41 of the A New Tax System (Australian Business Number) Act 1999.

ABN entity

An entity with an Australian Business Number (ABN) as listed on the Australian Business Register (ABR).

ABR (Australian Business Register) 

The register established under section 24 of the A New Tax System (Australian Business Number) Act 1999.

ACMA Assist

ACMA Assist is the online portal for the ACMA.

Customer

An entity that has a contractual arrangement with their telco relating to the sending of sender ID messages.

Entity

One of the following who uses or proposes to use sender ID messages:

1. an individual
2. a body corporate
3. a corporation sole
4. a body politic
5. a government entity (within the meaning of the A New Tax System (Australian Business Number) Act 1999)
6. a partnership
7. any other unincorporated association or body of persons
8. a trust
9. a superannuation fund (within the meaning of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993).

Entity associate 

An entity that is authorised to send messages using a sender ID that belongs to another entity (the sender ID owner). For example, you are an entity associate if you are:

• a research company that has been engaged by a bank to send messages for the bank, using its sender ID
• a sports club that is authorised to send messages, using a sender ID that is owned by a sports league
• an advertising or marketing agency engaged by a business to run advertising and promotional campaigns, using a sender ID owned by that business. 

If you are an entity associate for another entity, the application process consists of 2 parts.

The telco that you contact to apply must:

• submit an application for you to participate in the register
• submit an application to register the sender ID which belongs to the sender ID owner. This includes confirmation that the sender ID owner agrees to register the sender ID and gives you permission to use that sender ID.  

See Appendix A for more information.

Telecommunications provider (telco)

Any of the following:

• a carrier
• a carriage service provider
• an electronic messaging service provider.

This means any telco or message provider that sends SMS or MMS messages for you.